Image forming apparatus and intermediate transfer member

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including: a movable intermediate transfer member onto which a toner image borne by an image bearing member is to be transferred; a detection unit configured to irradiate the toner image on the intermediate transfer member with light to detect reflected light; and a control unit configured to adjust a condition for forming the toner image based on a detection result of the detection unit, wherein a plurality of grooves extending along a movement direction of the intermediate transfer member are formed in a surface of the intermediate transfer member in a width direction intersecting the movement direction, and wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are regularly changed within a predetermined range.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an image bearing member configured to bear a toner image; 
 an intermediate transfer member, onto which the toner image is to be transferred from the image bearing member, and which is movable; 
 a detection unit configured to irradiate the toner image on the intermediate transfer member with light to detect reflected light; and 
 a control unit configured to perform control of adjusting a condition for forming the toner image based on a detection result of the detection unit, 
 wherein, in a surface of the intermediate transfer member, a plurality of grooves extending along a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member are formed side by side in a width direction of the intermediate transfer member intersecting the movement direction, and 
 wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to at least the width direction, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are regularly changed within a predetermined range. 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a change in intervals is a periodic change with respect to the width direction, and 
 wherein a period of the periodic change is smaller than a width of the range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to the width direction. 
 
     
     
       3. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the intervals are periodically changed with respect to the width direction by difference in widths of the grooves with respect to the width direction. 
     
     
       4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the intervals are periodically changed with respect to the width direction by intervals of projection portions each between the adjacent grooves being changed with respect to the width direction. 
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein grooves, formed outside the range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit which respect to the width direction, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that the intervals each between the adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are substantially equal. 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein an average interval between the grooves in which the intervals are changed and an interval of the grooves in which the intervals are substantially equal are substantially equal to each other. 
     
     
       7. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a width of each of the plurality of grooves with respect to the width direction is smaller than an average particle diameter of toner. 
     
     
       8. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning member configured to abut against the intermediate transfer member to remove toner from the intermediate transfer member,
 wherein with respect to the width direction, the plurality of grooves are formed over a substantially entire of an area in which the cleaning member and the intermediate transfer member abut against each other. 
 
     
     
       9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an image bearing member configured to bear a toner image, 
 an intermediate transfer member, onto which the toner image is to be transferred from the image bearing member, and which is movable, 
 a detection unit configured to irradiate the toner image on the intermediate transfer member with light to detect reflected light; and 
 a control unit configured to perform control of adjusting a condition for forming the toner image based on a detection result of the detection unit, 
 wherein, in a surface of the intermediate transfer member, a plurality of grooves extending along a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member are formed side by side in a width direction of the intermediate transfer member intersecting the movement direction, and 
 wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to at least the width direction, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are changed within a predetermined range having a first area and a second area, the first area being an area in which an interval continuously increases as a position in the width direction changes in one direction in a coordinate system having a horizontal axis representing the position in the width direction and a vertical axis representing the interval, and the second area being an area in which an interval continuously decreases as a position in the width direction changes in the one direction in the coordinate system. 
 
     
     
       10. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the first area and the second area are adjacent to each other. 
     
     
       11. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the first area and the second area are alternately and repeatedly arranged with respect to the width direction. 
     
     
       12. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein a period, in which the first area and the second area are alternately and repeatedly arranged with respect to the width direction, is smaller than a width of the range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to the width direction. 
     
     
       13. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the intervals are changed with respect to the width direction by difference in widths of the grooves with respect to the width direction. 
     
     
       14. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the intervals are changed with respect to the width direction by intervals of projection portions each between the adjacent grooves being changed with respect to the width direction. 
     
     
       15. An intermediate transfer member, which is to be used in an image forming apparatus, and onto which a toner image is transferred from an image bearing member, and to which light is irradiated by a detection unit in the image forming apparatus, the intermediate transfer member comprising
 a plurality of grooves, which are formed in a surface of the intermediate transfer member, and which are formed side by side in a width direction of the intermediate transfer member intersecting a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member, 
 wherein the plurality of grooves extend along the movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member in the image forming apparatus, and 
 wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to at least the width direction, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are regularly changed within a predetermined range. 
 
     
     
       16. An intermediate transfer member according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein a change in intervals is a periodic change with respect to the width direction, and 
 wherein a period of the periodic change is smaller than a width of the range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to the width direction. 
 
     
     
       17. The intermediate transfer member according to  claim 15 , wherein the intervals are changed with respect to the width direction by difference in widths of the grooves with respect to the width direction. 
     
     
       18. The intermediate transfer member according to  claim 15 , wherein the intervals are changed with respect to the width direction by intervals of projection portions each between the adjacent grooves being changed with respect to the width direction. 
     
     
       19. The intermediate transfer member according to  claim 15 , wherein a width of each of the plurality of grooves with respect to the width direction is smaller than an average particle diameter of toner.